Volvo c70 t5 turbo buying advice
Discussion
Hi all
After a hunt for a car which would be sutiable for a little one on the way we purchased a nice clean 04focus estate
So with that purchased i have a whole 2k spare and the approval to buy a toy.Been liking the volvos for a while so have decided to buy a c70 t5 2 door coupe .so will be looking at 99-2002 models which seem to fall within this range.Now all the ones we have seen all have 80,000 + mls on the clock which from reading does not matter if been looked after.Now for my question what do we need to look for to make sure we get a good one i know service history is a must but is there any common problems these volvos have.
regards john
After a hunt for a car which would be sutiable for a little one on the way we purchased a nice clean 04focus estate
So with that purchased i have a whole 2k spare and the approval to buy a toy.Been liking the volvos for a while so have decided to buy a c70 t5 2 door coupe .so will be looking at 99-2002 models which seem to fall within this range.Now all the ones we have seen all have 80,000 + mls on the clock which from reading does not matter if been looked after.Now for my question what do we need to look for to make sure we get a good one i know service history is a must but is there any common problems these volvos have.regards john
welshjohn said:
Hi all
After a hunt for a car which would be sutiable for a little one on the way we purchased a nice clean 04focus estate So with that purchased i have a whole 2k spare and the approval to buy a toy.Been liking the volvos for a while so have decided to buy a c70 t5 2 door coupe .so will be looking at 99-2002 models which seem to fall within this range.Now all the ones we have seen all have 80,000 + mls on the clock which from reading does not matter if been looked after.Now for my question what do we need to look for to make sure we get a good one i know service history is a must but is there any common problems these volvos have.
regards john
Hi JohnAfter a hunt for a car which would be sutiable for a little one on the way we purchased a nice clean 04focus estate
So with that purchased i have a whole 2k spare and the approval to buy a toy.Been liking the volvos for a while so have decided to buy a c70 t5 2 door coupe .so will be looking at 99-2002 models which seem to fall within this range.Now all the ones we have seen all have 80,000 + mls on the clock which from reading does not matter if been looked after.Now for my question what do we need to look for to make sure we get a good one i know service history is a must but is there any common problems these volvos have.regards john
I too have been looking at them.
I did a little search on here and read hat a lot of PHer's reckon there rubbish to drive.
I have never driven one, so i cant comment on that but I think there quite stylish with good spec.
J
welshjohn said:
The reviews i have read say they drive well.What makes them bad then?
Probably because it's not some lightweight, agile, RWD M-Badged monster. It's not, or was it ever intended to be so. It's an easy-to-live with, phenomenally comfortable cruiser/continent crusher, and all the better for it.Just avoid the automatics.
Edited by Jimbo. on Saturday 14th July 11:06
I've recently bought a c70 coupe and am pretty impressed with it.
I would make sure you find a post 2001 one with the 'GT' pack which gives you nicer alloys, excellent leather seats and Dolby 10 speaker surround system.
Mine is a 2.0 low pressure turbo and my only gripe is its not fast enough at the lower end of the rev range, however if you're after the t5 there'll be no complaints about lack of power!! The handling is not razor sharp, and the steering is quite light even at speed however by no means does it handle badly, especially for what is a big car.
Mechanically my c70 appears to be perfect, it came with a FVSH and 66k on the clock all for £1800 so you get a lot of quality car for the money.
I would make sure you find a post 2001 one with the 'GT' pack which gives you nicer alloys, excellent leather seats and Dolby 10 speaker surround system.
Mine is a 2.0 low pressure turbo and my only gripe is its not fast enough at the lower end of the rev range, however if you're after the t5 there'll be no complaints about lack of power!! The handling is not razor sharp, and the steering is quite light even at speed however by no means does it handle badly, especially for what is a big car.
Mechanically my c70 appears to be perfect, it came with a FVSH and 66k on the clock all for £1800 so you get a lot of quality car for the money.
I absolutely love mine and will never sell it - mines a 99 T5 GT auto.
Common faults - people will bang on about ETM and a load of other things but fact of the matter is they are tremendously reliable for they're age.
Common faults are seized rear calipers, shot suspension bushes, worn inner edges of tyres (check them well front and rear), window regulators and switches fail, top engine mounts fail and the suede seats can end up looking very dog eared after a very short space of time.
I'd go for one in a decent colour, with full leather and the dynn audio progic stereo as its effing awesome. Convertibles are bone shakers so go for the coupe. All the engines are terrific including the rare rev-tastic 2.5 non turbo 20v. Manual or autos are fine but I personally think the auto suits the waft-tastic nature of the car. It's a four speeder and can get caught out when pushing on but it's reliable and shifts smoothly.
You won't find a better all rounder for the money based on looks, class or performance - mine's 12yrs old but still looks gorgeous parked next to a lot of new metal.
But do hunt for a good one - a bad one will break your heart - there are plenty out there so be choosy - i'll post a pic of mine later when I'm not at work
Common faults - people will bang on about ETM and a load of other things but fact of the matter is they are tremendously reliable for they're age.
Common faults are seized rear calipers, shot suspension bushes, worn inner edges of tyres (check them well front and rear), window regulators and switches fail, top engine mounts fail and the suede seats can end up looking very dog eared after a very short space of time.
I'd go for one in a decent colour, with full leather and the dynn audio progic stereo as its effing awesome. Convertibles are bone shakers so go for the coupe. All the engines are terrific including the rare rev-tastic 2.5 non turbo 20v. Manual or autos are fine but I personally think the auto suits the waft-tastic nature of the car. It's a four speeder and can get caught out when pushing on but it's reliable and shifts smoothly.
You won't find a better all rounder for the money based on looks, class or performance - mine's 12yrs old but still looks gorgeous parked next to a lot of new metal.
But do hunt for a good one - a bad one will break your heart - there are plenty out there so be choosy - i'll post a pic of mine later when I'm not at work
I had one last year, bought for £1600 and scrapped it 6 months later. F***ing awful cars.
Very heavy and not very good handling or ride, quite fast in a straight line when it's working properly, which they often don't. The big bug-bear in cars the age you're considering is what's known as the ETM. This £500+ replacement for a £20 throttle cable WILL go after about 10 years/100k miles, have a look in the Volvo forum for pages and pages on this issue alone.
It's a far bigger problem than HGF on K series Rovers because it happens to every car.
Steering problems where the wheels rub the suspension and ignorant owners don't fill the PAS pump with the right fluid causing the whole lot to seize up, various electrical niggles which cause the dashboard warning lights to do their best Christmas tree impression also contribute to their low prices.
They feel exactly the same to drive as the big V70 estates, the only good things I can find to say about them is the bodies last well and the top models have great stereos, but I wouldn't touch one with a barge pole.
Very heavy and not very good handling or ride, quite fast in a straight line when it's working properly, which they often don't. The big bug-bear in cars the age you're considering is what's known as the ETM. This £500+ replacement for a £20 throttle cable WILL go after about 10 years/100k miles, have a look in the Volvo forum for pages and pages on this issue alone.
It's a far bigger problem than HGF on K series Rovers because it happens to every car.
Steering problems where the wheels rub the suspension and ignorant owners don't fill the PAS pump with the right fluid causing the whole lot to seize up, various electrical niggles which cause the dashboard warning lights to do their best Christmas tree impression also contribute to their low prices.
They feel exactly the same to drive as the big V70 estates, the only good things I can find to say about them is the bodies last well and the top models have great stereos, but I wouldn't touch one with a barge pole.
fat freddie said:
I had one last year, bought for £1600 and scrapped it 6 months later. F***ing awful cars.
Very heavy and not very good handling or ride, quite fast in a straight line when it's working properly, which they often don't. The big bug-bear in cars the age you're considering is what's known as the ETM. This £500+ replacement for a £20 throttle cable WILL go after about 10 years/100k miles, have a look in the Volvo forum for pages and pages on this issue alone.
It's a far bigger problem than HGF on K series Rovers because it happens to every car.
Steering problems where the wheels rub the suspension and ignorant owners don't fill the PAS pump with the right fluid causing the whole lot to seize up, various electrical niggles which cause the dashboard warning lights to do their best Christmas tree impression also contribute to their low prices.
They feel exactly the same to drive as the big V70 estates, the only good things I can find to say about them is the bodies last well and the top models have great stereos, but I wouldn't touch one with a barge pole.
This ETM nonsense is a bVery heavy and not very good handling or ride, quite fast in a straight line when it's working properly, which they often don't. The big bug-bear in cars the age you're considering is what's known as the ETM. This £500+ replacement for a £20 throttle cable WILL go after about 10 years/100k miles, have a look in the Volvo forum for pages and pages on this issue alone.
It's a far bigger problem than HGF on K series Rovers because it happens to every car.
Steering problems where the wheels rub the suspension and ignorant owners don't fill the PAS pump with the right fluid causing the whole lot to seize up, various electrical niggles which cause the dashboard warning lights to do their best Christmas tree impression also contribute to their low prices.
They feel exactly the same to drive as the big V70 estates, the only good things I can find to say about them is the bodies last well and the top models have great stereos, but I wouldn't touch one with a barge pole.
ks - they don't fail on every car - they fail on poorly maintained car - I service loads of them on a weekly basis and we have cars running 200k plus with no faults - the trouble is they are complex and tricky to clean and most people can't do it - but any volvo specialist worth his salt will know how to. You are right though, a cable is better and the old engines faired fine with a regular throttle body - the big advantage of the ETM system is the improved fuel consumption.To be fair I respect your comments but it sounds like you bought a bag of s
t - I think it's unfair to suggest they are all rubbish just because you went out and bought a clunker. As I have said already - be choosy and buy the best you can - something you appear to have not done
I had a 99 C70 T5 GT, so can offer some advise, they are not a drivers car as in a A/B road blaster, the handling is not great, but they drive lovely, long distances taken with ease.
I looked into the problems they have and 2 things, the MAF goes, but just makes sure you get a bosch item and not a cheap one, else it will just go again. Also common problem is the ABS pump the joints on the board dry up and the ABS light comes on. about £150 to fix on exchange.
As someone else has said go for a GT the stereo is amazing ( GT has the sub speaker on the top centre of the dash, not a GT without it)
Buy one and enjoy
I looked into the problems they have and 2 things, the MAF goes, but just makes sure you get a bosch item and not a cheap one, else it will just go again. Also common problem is the ABS pump the joints on the board dry up and the ABS light comes on. about £150 to fix on exchange.
As someone else has said go for a GT the stereo is amazing ( GT has the sub speaker on the top centre of the dash, not a GT without it)
Buy one and enjoy
Mechanically I believe these are mostly Volvo 850 based. So this is based on my 850 T5 experiences which should give you an idea. Can't comment on the ETM issue but the ABS problem is fixable DIY if you are handy with a dremel and a soldering iron.
Suspension does take a bit of a pummeling and things like the front control arms (with integrated ball joints) are pricey enough, about £100 or so per side for OEM. Rear upper mounts are cheap and almost treated as a consumable. Rear delta links will probably need replaced on a car with 100K and although doable at home it's one I wouldn't fancy doing again myself. The engine top mount is a cheap fix, get a powerflex bush for £20 or so. You'll want a front strut brace as well, £70 for a genuine Volvo item (for the 850 anyway) Suspension upgrades, Koni FSD shocks and Eibach springs work very well
The T5 is a great engine, very punchy but a tad thirsty. Sounds great though and the powerflex bush I mentioned really enhances the 5 cyl warble. That punch though means that front tyre wear is heavy and certainly don't go and fit budget in that regard.
Overall a very good car, comfy and looks great. Just not a B road blaster but I'd rather have one and a few quid spent on light refurbishment than a M3 at a similar price point.
The Volvo Owners Club forum would have more in depth info.
Suspension does take a bit of a pummeling and things like the front control arms (with integrated ball joints) are pricey enough, about £100 or so per side for OEM. Rear upper mounts are cheap and almost treated as a consumable. Rear delta links will probably need replaced on a car with 100K and although doable at home it's one I wouldn't fancy doing again myself. The engine top mount is a cheap fix, get a powerflex bush for £20 or so. You'll want a front strut brace as well, £70 for a genuine Volvo item (for the 850 anyway) Suspension upgrades, Koni FSD shocks and Eibach springs work very well
The T5 is a great engine, very punchy but a tad thirsty. Sounds great though and the powerflex bush I mentioned really enhances the 5 cyl warble. That punch though means that front tyre wear is heavy and certainly don't go and fit budget in that regard.
Overall a very good car, comfy and looks great. Just not a B road blaster but I'd rather have one and a few quid spent on light refurbishment than a M3 at a similar price point.
The Volvo Owners Club forum would have more in depth info.
morgrp said:
This ETM nonsense is a bks - they don't fail on every car
Sadly it's not. ks - they don't fail on every car Even Volvo (who were taken to court by irate owners of these cars) admitted that the life expectancy of these units was around 10 years/100k miles, and the Volvo Owners Club Forum has a dedicated section devoted to this one fault. There may well be individual cars that for whatever reason have escaped this fault, but they'll be the exception, and the fix is expensive on a car that can be bought for a grand these days.
You may well see "loads of them on a weekly basis" (odd that one person sees "loads", since they're not exactly common cars, are they all that unreliable?) and I don't doubt the car itself is well capable of doing 200k+ like most well cared for Volvos but I'd imagine one on that mileage is not going to be on its first ETM.....
The OP wants the good and the bad aspects to ownership, it's worth pointing out what can go wrong, is all....
morgrp said:
To be fair I respect your comments but it sounds like you bought a bag of st - I think it's unfair to suggest they are all rubbish just because you went out and bought a clunker.
You'd like to think so wouldn't you, but again sadly not the case. t - I think it's unfair to suggest they are all rubbish just because you went out and bought a clunker. I've bought and sold dozens of cars over the years and this was no clunker I can assure you, it was a three owner 85k mile, fvsh example with hardly a blemish on it. It just turned out to be needing more money spending on it than I was willing to shell out on a car I'd decided by that time wasn't a good car.
If I'd liked the car I'd have spent the money, but to me it didn't drive anywhere near as nice as I was expecting/hoping, so I cut my losses and binned it.
fat freddie said:
You'd like to think so wouldn't you, but again sadly not the case.
I've bought and sold dozens of cars over the years and this was no clunker I can assure you, it was a three owner 85k mile, fvsh example with hardly a blemish on it. It just turned out to be needing more money spending on it than I was willing to shell out on a car I'd decided by that time wasn't a good car.
If I'd liked the car I'd have spent the money, but to me it didn't drive anywhere near as nice as I was expecting/hoping, so I cut my losses and binned it.
ETM's can often be rebuilt for about £100 - there are loads of places which do it. You'd have to, frankly, be a complete idiot to shell out £500 to Volvo as a first port of call for fixing these.I've bought and sold dozens of cars over the years and this was no clunker I can assure you, it was a three owner 85k mile, fvsh example with hardly a blemish on it. It just turned out to be needing more money spending on it than I was willing to shell out on a car I'd decided by that time wasn't a good car.
If I'd liked the car I'd have spent the money, but to me it didn't drive anywhere near as nice as I was expecting/hoping, so I cut my losses and binned it.
Ive had mine for 4 years now, 2000 C70 T5.
The etm hasent been touched in that time, its got a yellow sticker and paperwork for the software update.
Its had a maf, a bosch one.
Changed the top engine mount when i first got it, for a volvo one.
Changed both lower arms for pattern ones, they failed after a year, so it has volvo ones now.
Full suspension kit, bilstein, with eibach springs, not lowered, just 10% stiffer.
Front strut brace, thats a volvo part, look on the forums for the number.
Braking, its got braided lines all round, black diamond disks with red stuff pads.
I didn't start out, aiming to make all these changes, just as things have worn out, i priced up genuine spares, then if no joy, looked at the aftermarket.
Avoid scantech stuff, its crap.
For the people saying the auto is no good, have you driven one ?
Ive got a manual and Dad has an auto, just make sure the oil have been changed in the gearbox.
Sound system is great, mines got a failed speaker in the passenger door, that seams to be common thing.
O the speaker in the center of the dash, isnt for bass, its a treble speaker.
Go get one mate.
The etm hasent been touched in that time, its got a yellow sticker and paperwork for the software update.
Its had a maf, a bosch one.
Changed the top engine mount when i first got it, for a volvo one.
Changed both lower arms for pattern ones, they failed after a year, so it has volvo ones now.
Full suspension kit, bilstein, with eibach springs, not lowered, just 10% stiffer.
Front strut brace, thats a volvo part, look on the forums for the number.
Braking, its got braided lines all round, black diamond disks with red stuff pads.
I didn't start out, aiming to make all these changes, just as things have worn out, i priced up genuine spares, then if no joy, looked at the aftermarket.
Avoid scantech stuff, its crap.
For the people saying the auto is no good, have you driven one ?
Ive got a manual and Dad has an auto, just make sure the oil have been changed in the gearbox.
Sound system is great, mines got a failed speaker in the passenger door, that seams to be common thing.
O the speaker in the center of the dash, isnt for bass, its a treble speaker.
Go get one mate.
I had a 1998 C70 T5 - auto. Very stylish car with all the toys but it is not a sports car by any stretch.... they do drive more like a 850/V70 T5 estate car than a b-road blaster.
ETM issues are exaggerated and if you buy a 1997 to early 1999 model you can avoid ETM altogether. They are big heavy cars, so suspension and brakes (ABS ECU issues are very common but cheap to fix) take a battering . Engines are bullet proof if serviced properly.
I liked mine but I wouldn't get another; I just don't think the insurance and running costs (think 20mpg) are balanced out by the performance or driving experience.
ETM issues are exaggerated and if you buy a 1997 to early 1999 model you can avoid ETM altogether. They are big heavy cars, so suspension and brakes (ABS ECU issues are very common but cheap to fix) take a battering . Engines are bullet proof if serviced properly.
I liked mine but I wouldn't get another; I just don't think the insurance and running costs (think 20mpg) are balanced out by the performance or driving experience.
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